This invention relates to a bellows assembly and, more particularly, to a bellows assembly which houses and protects electrical cables, and connectors attached thereto, from the effects of an electromagnetic pulse.
It is well known that a nuclear burst results in, among other phenomenon, an electromagnetic pulse, hereinafter referred to as "EMP". The EMP, although transient in nature, may result in permanent and irreparable damage to unhardened electrical and electronic components within the nuclear burst environment. The term "unhardened," as used herein, is intended to mean "not protected from the effects of a nuclear blast." Conversely, the term "hardened" means so protected. It is obvious, therefore, that the protection of United States weaponry which uses electrical cables, such as the Minuteman II missile, against an EMP is in the interest of national defense.
In this connection, it should be noted that it is frequently required that the Missile Guidance Set of the missile be raised from the third stage thereof. When this is done, an unhardened electrical cable and a connector thereto from the Missile Guidance Set (hereinafter referred to as MGS) to the third stage is left unprotected from, and is vulnerable to, an EMP.
Therefore, there is a critical need for an apparatus which will protect the mentioned unhardened electrical cable and connector from an EMP, and which is expansible and contractable to permit the raising and lowering of the MGS from the third stage of the missile.
This invention fulfills that need and, thereby, advances the state-of-the-art.